conclusive.

Strong enough to settle the relevant question rather than merely suggest an answer.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• conclusive evidence
• conclusive result

On the page

The matching records offered conclusive evidence that the transaction had occurred.

Consistent observations were encouraging, but not conclusive about the proposed mechanism.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Comparative more conclusive; superlative most conclusive where gradation is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation, qualification. Disciplines: general academic writing. Commonness: moderately common.